Giants grades vs. Saints: Offense, defense and coaching receive failing marks
Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito throws under pressure from Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon during the second half of an NFL game Sunday in New Orleans. Credit: AP/Matthew Hinton
OFFENSE: F
If rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito were the biggest problem here, at least the Giants would have an excuse. But this was a group effort that featured receivers not getting open and/or dropping balls, Saquon Barkley rushing nine times for 14 yards and the Saints sacking DeVito seven times in their 24-6 win over the Giants in New Orleans. The Giants’ two field goals came on possessions kept alive by pivotal penalties on the Saints. DeVito was the leading rusher with 36 yards and was the only Giant with a rush of longer than five yards. The Giants were 2-for-16 on third downs. But at least they did not have any turnovers.
DEFENSE: F
Saints fans were so down on quarterback Derek Carr that he got some boos when he was introduced before the game, then more boos after his first possession. His final numbers: 23-for-28 passing for 218 yards, three touchdowns, for a passer rating of 134.8. He was sacked just once. There were coverage breakdowns all over the place, most glaringly on the game’s biggest play — a 23-yard touchdown pass from Carr to Juwan Johnson on the opening drive of the second half that made it 14-6. There was no defender near Johnson. Alvin Kamara rushed 16 times for 66 yards.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Randy Bullock opened the scoring by making a 56-yard field goal five minutes into the game. But soon he was gone, felled by a hamstring injury that might lead the Giants to need another kicker for next Monday’s game against the Eagles. They do have Cade York on their practice squad. Most teams in such a situation turn to their punter to fill in. But for a time in the first half, it appeared Jamie Gillan was hurt, too. As the Giants pondered emergency contingencies, the left-footed Gillan nailed a 40-yard field goal as the first half clock expired. Gillan’s second-half kickoff was short, but the Giants never scored again, so his day as a placekicker was over.
COACHING: F
Brian Daboll and his staff did an excellent job keeping the Giants focused after a blowout loss against the Cowboys dropped them to 2-8 and made it appear as if they never would win another game this season. They won three in a row, then ran into a harsh reality check in New Orleans. The offensive staff could come up with no answer for the Saints’ stunt-heavy pass rush, and the defensive staff made the beleaguered Carr look good. The Giants are effectively out of playoff contention, and two of their last three games are against the Eagles. Yikes.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
